UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union

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UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union

The UP LDMU is the official moot court and debate organization of the UP College of Law. Monroe Moot Court Competition on Media Law.

Year after year, the UP LDMU, through the awards and accolades our moot and debate teams receive here and abroad in various competitions, affirm in no small measure the UP College of Law’s position as a top and premier law school in the nation, the region, and the world. In the past years, our teams have won international, regional and national championships for prestigious moot court competitions

such as the Asia Cup, the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition; the National Moot Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law; the Jean-Pictet Competition; the Stetson International Moot Court Competition on Environmental Law, and; the Price E. Many of our members have also garnered Best Oralist awards, with our teams also winning multiple Best Memorial awards in their respective competitions. The list goes on, extending to decades of excellence in legal research and oral advocacy. The Executive Committee for A.Y. 2022-2023 is composed of:
President - Micah (Bob) Ecarma
Secretary General - Adrian Padilla
Vice President for Team Management - Esabelle Catameo
Vice President for Membership - Paolo Jose
Vice President for Externals - Trishia Fernandez
Vice President for Finance - Michiko Lokin

You may get in touch with us at [email protected]

13/08/2026

Only 3 DAYS LEFT until registration closes!

Make sure to secure your spot for the Moot Court Orientation Seminar (MCOS) and General Moot Court Workshop hosted by yours truly, the UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union.

📅 Date: August 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 NN (MCOS) and 1:00 to 4:00 PM (General Moot Court Workshop)
📍 Venue: Room 300, Malcolm Hall

Lunch will be served to the first 50 registrants!

Register through this link: https://forms.gle/3BLTH2FvUcnxwgcX9 🔗

07/08/2026

Discover mooting and develop your advocacy.

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union (LDMU) invites the UP Law community to the Moot Court Orientation Seminar (MCOS) and General Moot Court Workshop on 16 August 2026 at Malcolm Hall.

From 10:00 AM to 12:00 NN, MCOS will introduce students to moot court and provide an opportunity to hear directly from former mooters about their experiences with competitions, tryouts, preparation, and balancing mooting with academics, work, and personal life.

From 1:00 to 4:00 PM, the General Moot Court Workshop will introduce the fundamentals of public international law, legal research, memorial writing, and oral advocacy.

Iloilo students may participate through zoom.

Lunch will be served to the first 50 registrants!

Join us by registering through the QR code or this link: https://forms.gle/3BLTH2FvUcnxwgcX9

18/07/2026

𝐔𝐏 𝐋𝐃𝐌𝐔 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union (UP LDMU) proudly congratulates our Class of 2026 graduates.

More than the trophies you brought home, you have brought pride to our community and to the College of Law. It has been our privilege to stand alongside you in every opportunity that we had.

Likewise, we hope that LDMU brought color to your law school journey. We hope that you found a home, a community, and stories that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Congratulations, graduates. Padayon, Class of 2026! 🌻

22/06/2026

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union proudly congratulates the UP Law International Criminal Court (ICC) Team for emerging as World Quarterfinals in the prestigious 2026 Competition held in The Hague, Netherlands from June 12 to June 19, 2026.

The ICC Moot Court Competition, organized by the International Bar Association (IBA), brings together law students from across the globe in a rigorous simulation of proceedings before the International Criminal Court. The competition features an intensive seven-day academic and cultural program designed to challenge participants' legal skills and foster international collaboration among aspiring practitioners of international criminal law.

This year’s case, Prosecutor v. Droganna Syrax, tackled issues such as the immunity of a sitting President, serious violations of international humanitarian law, and arrest and surrender proceedings within the ICC framework.

UP Law stood out among 94 universities from 48 countries, securing a place in the quarterfinals, where they concluded their run.

The team, led by Jeremy Matthew Tan (IV-I), with Angelica Mercado (III-E), Maria Franchesca Louise Fajemolin (III-D), Hans Rinaldi Gonzalez (III-BGCDay1), and Mavhin Jann Malanom (II-C), demonstrated outstanding advocacy under the guidance of coach Prof. Michael Tiu Jr. The team was also assisted by Patricia Isabel Bayhon (II-E).

Congratulations to the team for their unwavering dedication! We are proud of you for this achievement.

21/04/2026

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union extends its warmest congratulations to the UP Law Price Team for finishing as World Quarterfinalists in the International Rounds of the 2025–2026 Price Media Law Moot Court Competition, held on April 13–17, 2026 in Oxford, England.

The team delivered a strong performance, sweeping all of their preliminary rounds and earning their place among the top eight teams in the world.

Widely regarded as the premier moot court competition in media law, the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition brings together leading law schools to grapple with cutting-edge issues on freedom of expression, digital rights, and media regulation. This year’s problem engaged questions on balancing national security concerns with the rights to privacy and freedom of expression under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, examining matters such as surveillance of journalists’ communications, prior restraints on publication, and the broader impact of digital monitoring and sanctions on public discourse.

The UP Law Price Team is composed of Arielle V. Leyva (IV-BGCDay1), Tamara Virginia P. Domingo (IV-BGCDay1), Eduardo Carlo Ildefonso F. Oleta (IV-BGCDay1), Sophia Lorena L. Pugay (IV-C), and Marion Maeghan G. Sanchez (II-D), under the guidance of Coach Prof. Michael Tiu Jr. and Adviser Prof. Rommel Casis.

Congratulations, UP Law Price Team! We are proud of you.

20/04/2026

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union proudly congratulates the UP Law Stetson Team for finishing as World Quarterfinalists at the International Rounds of the 30th Stetson Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition, held from April 15–18, 2026 in Gulfport, Florida, USA.

The team delivered an exceptional showing throughout the preliminary rounds, notably defeating Pontifical Javeriana University—the eventual recipient of the Best Memorial Award—and securing their place among the top eight teams in the world.

In recognition of their outstanding advocacy, both oralists—who served as swing speakers in all rounds—earned top speaker distinctions from a field of over 70 competitors. Charlyn M. Lastrollo ranked 6th Best Speaker, while Aaron Reiel A. Chan ranked 4th Best Speaker.

This year’s moot problem addressed complex and emerging issues in international environmental law, including prior informed consent in relation to access to the DNA of extinct species, as well as whether digital sequence information (DSI) falls within the scope of biotechnology and the legal consequences for its use.

The team is composed of Aaron Reiel A. Chan (III-D), Joshua Tristan N. Dita (III-E), and Charlyn M. Lastrollo (II-DilEve1), and is coached by Prof. Maria Patricia Valeña.

Once again, congratulations to the UP Law Stetson Team on this remarkable and well-earned achievement.

08/04/2026

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union proudly congratulates the UP Law Jessup Team for breaking to the Advanced Rounds of the 2026 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, held from 28 March to 4 April 2026 in Washington, D.C., USA.

After competing in four rigorous Preliminary Rounds against universities from the United States, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Slovakia, the team placed within the top third of over 800 participating teams worldwide and advanced to the Run-Off Rounds.

Beyond breaking to the Advanced Rounds, the team further distinguished itself at the International Rounds, placing 19th in the Alona E. Evans Award for Best Team Memorials out of more than 150 submissions in the International Rounds. Moreover, Mackie N. Valenzuela received the Ved P. Nanda Award for Top 50 Oralists Worldwide, ranking 41st among nearly 550 oralists and earning distinction as one of the competition’s leading advocates.

Widely regarded as the world’s largest and most prestigious moot court competition, this year’s Jessup problem presented complex issues on: (1) intervention before the International Court of Justice; (2) the rights of Indigenous Peoples to consultation and free, prior, and informed consent under international law; (3) transnational double jeopardy as a general principle of law in the context of a bilateral extradition treaty; and (4) the immunity of state-owned instrumentalities for tortious acts in the context of rare earth mining.

The 2026 UP Law Jessup Team is composed of Andre Cauilan (II-A), Kimberly Joy Dimaapi (IV-GI), John Jared Garcia (III-D), Rachel Roxas (III-D), and Team Captain Mackie Valenzuela (V-Eve2), under the guidance of Prof. Abelardo Hernandez and Atty. Peterson P**n.

We are immensely proud of the team’s dedication, discipline, and excellence. Congratulations once again on this outstanding achievement!

07/04/2026

UP Law breaks into the Top 64 in the 33rd Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vienna) after a decade-long hiatus.

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union proudly congratulates the Vis Moot Team for breaking into the advanced rounds (Round of 64) and receiving the Eric E. Bergsten Award for Best Team Orals (Honorable Mention III), following its performance in the general rounds. This marks the return of UP Law to Vienna and in the world’s largest arbitration moot after more than 15 years of not fielding a team. UP Law notably did not participate in any Pre-Moot for the 33rd Vis.

The oral rounds, held on March 28 to April 2, 2026, welcomed 384 teams from 90+ countries. The moot focused on a dispute between two private companies under a contract governed by the Convention on the International Sales of Goods (CISG). Issues revolved around the applicable version of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rules, third-party funding, force majeure exemption, and computation of damages.

The UP Law Vis Moot team consisted of Team Captain Tim G. Kho (IV-Eve1), Rick Zuriel T. Capuli (IV-EH), and Yogee Dy-Liacco Mann (IV-BGCEve1). The team was coached by Professor Joan de Venecia-Fabul.

Congratulations, UP Law Vis Team for the excellent comeback!

28/02/2026

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union warmly congratulates the UP Law Jessup Team for an exceptional showing at the 2026 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, held from February 25 to 27, 2026.

The team delivered a flawless 4–0 performance in the preliminary rounds, emerging as one of the top four teams out of 24 participating law schools and advancing to the semifinals. In individual distinctions, John Jared Garcia was recognized as the 9th Best Oralist of the Preliminary Rounds, while Mackie Valenzuela earned the distinction of 8th Best Oralist of the Preliminary Rounds.

Although their national run concluded in the semifinals, the team’s remarkable performance secures UP Law’s place to represent the Philippines in the International Rounds to be held at Washington, D.C. for the 9th consecutive year in a row.

Widely regarded as the world’s largest and most prestigious moot court competition, the Jessup posed a challenging set of issues this year, including: (1) intervention before the International Court of Justice; (2) the rights of Indigenous Peoples to consultation and free, prior, and informed consent under international law; (3) extradition and double jeopardy as a general principle of law; and (4) the immunity of state-owned instrumentalities for tortious acts in the context of rare earth mining activities.

The 2026 UP Law Jessup Team is composed of Andre Cauilan (II-A), John Jared Garcia (III-D), Kimberly Joy Dimaapi (IV-GI), Rachel Roxas (III-D), and Mackie Valenzuela (V-Eve2), under the guidance of Prof. Abelardo Hernandez and Atty. Peterson P**n.

We are immensely proud of the team’s dedication, discipline, and excellence. Congratulations once again on this outstanding achievement.

18/01/2026

The UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union (UP LDMU) proudly congratulates the UP Law Contingent for emerging as CHAMPIONS of the 2026 Philippine Law Debate Championship (PLDC), hosted by the San Beda Law Debate Circle.

UP Law dominated the tournament, winning all five (5) preliminary matches and breaking as the top team in the advanced rounds, out of over 30 teams from 21 schools. Johanna Trisha Cinco was also recognized as the Overall 8th Best Speaker overall.

In the Championship Round held at Casa Blanca, Intramuros, Manila, UP Law faced the Arellano University School of Law and took the affirmative side, arguing that American exceptionalism is abhorrent in international law. Denzelle Caro was awarded Best Speaker of the Championship Round.

UP Law also earned top adjudicator recognition: Hannah Solayao was named the Overall Best Adjudicator, and served as Grand Finals Chair of the Mendiola Cup Finals leg of the PLDC, held at San Beda University, Manila.

The team is composed of Art Joseph S. Tarranza (II-C), Denzelle Jude P. Caro (I-G), and Johanna Trisha C. Cinco (I-EVE-3) as speakers, with Hannah D. Solayao (I-EVE-3) as adjudicator.

The UP Law community is incredibly proud of the PLDC Team for representing the College with excellence in law debate. Congratulations!

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